On May 20, 2025, the Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity (A2EP) hosted a pivotal webinar titled “Unlocking Compressed Air Efficiency for Serious Energy Savings.” This session illuminated the substantial energy-saving potential within compressed air systems, which, despite their ubiquity in manufacturing, often operate with significant inefficiencies.

Insights from Industry Experts

The webinar featured insights from leading professionals:

• Satinder Sahni, Group Senior Manager – Utilities at Asahi Beverages, shared strategies on how Asahi significantly reduced compressed air costs by minimizing air consumption in their processes.
• Murray Nottle, an air systems engineer from the Carnot Group, discussed the utilization of ‘Power vs Flow’ curves as a diagnostic tool to identify and prioritize areas for efficiency improvements.
• Craig Morgan, Group Sales Director at Northmore Gordon, presented findings from a measurement-based survey of 30 compressed air systems, revealing surprising inefficiencies and offering guidance on assessing system performance.

A Call to Action for Energy Managers

This webinar serves as a valuable resource for energy managers, engineers, and industry professionals aiming to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and lower emissions. By addressing the often-overlooked inefficiencies in compressed air systems. Want to increase your industrial energy savings? Contact Craig Morgan at Northmore Gordon today!

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We extend our congratulations to all the nominees and winners, and proudly highlight G&K O’Connor, supported by Northmore Gordon, for taking home the EEC Leading Energy Management Project: Industrial award. Their winning project, ‘Closing the Loop on Red Meat Processing Energy and Emissions’, is a testament to what’s possible when strategic vision meets deep technical expertise.

Over the past three years, it has been a privilege to work alongside GKO — helping navigate complex energy challenges and drive real emissions reductions in one of Australia’s most vital industries.

A heartfelt thank you to Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC) for their support, and congratulations again to all involved. This recognition reflects the dedication, innovation, and collaboration that continue to shape a more sustainable future.

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Client Overview

Kalafatis Fresh Produce, located in Shepparton, Victoria, is a cornerstone of Australian agriculture. A trusted Woolworths supplier for over 50 years, Kalafatis specialises in pears, apples, and stone fruit, including exclusive varieties like the Papple pear.

Project Summary

With rising energy costs and an increasing focus on sustainability, Kalafatis Fresh Produce sought a smart solution to cut emissions and reduce operational expenses. Watters Electrical, a long-term partner of Kalafatis, proposed and later delivered a 400 kW solar PV system. For the project to proceed, Northmore Gordon was bought in to provide critical funding via the VEU that supported the project financials.

Challenges We Overcame

This project wasn’t without its complexities:

• Kalafatis built new expansion sheds in 2022, and seven new cool rooms, causing a spike in energy usage during our measurement period. This added complexity to M&V and caused a dead end under traditional approaches.
• At Northmore Gordon we love challenging problems, and we used creative problem solving to create the concurrent baseline method (VSS). By gaining government support for the new mechanism, this allowed us to isolate energy savings purely from the solar system. This method is now widely used by the industry.
• Erroneous inverter data also caused challenges, we regularly apply new and creative approaches to modelling to ensure optimal customer outcomes.

Results That Speak for Themselves

Despite the hurdles, the project exceeded expectations:

• Energy Generation: 607 MWh actual vs. 526 MWh estimated
• Certificate Value: $283K actual vs. $235K estimated
• Annual Savings: 517 MWh actual vs. 484 MWh estimated

That’s a 6.4% boost in VEECs, delivering an extra $48K in financial value – reflecting our commitment to precise analysis and energy expertise.

Benefits for Kalafatis Fresh Produce

• Lower Energy Bills: Thanks to a significant reduction in electricity consumption
• Environmental Stewardship: A sharp decrease in greenhouse gas emissions
• Financial Incentives: VEEC rebates improved the return on investment
• Brand Reputation: Strengthened perception as an environmentally responsible grower

Our Role

At Northmore Gordon, we provided full project guidance – right from strategy through to implementation. Working closely with Kalafatis and Watters Electrical we ensured compliance and optimised outcome. Our expert team ensured the solar VEEC initiative stayed compliant, cost-effective, and results-driven. With our Measurement and Verification methodology and trusted project management, Kalafatis Fresh Produce turned their sustainability ambition into measurable success.

For more information about Solar VEECs and LGCs contact: Madonna Ghajar

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The partnership brings together Northmore Gordon’s deep expertise in energy management and carbon reduction with Pangolin Associates’ proven capabilities in climate risk assessment and sustainability reporting. This powerful combination offers large energy users a comprehensive solution to meet their ASRS compliance needs while driving meaningful progress on their decarbonization journeys.

“Large energy users face significant challenges in meeting the new ASRS framework,” said Hamish McGovern, Managing Director at Northmore Gordon. “By partnering with Pangolin Associates, we can offer clients an unmatched combination of energy expertise and climate reporting capabilities, ensuring they not only comply with regulations but identify valuable opportunities to reduce costs and emissions, and maximise funding sources for the transition.”

Iain Smale, Managing Director at Pangolin Associates, added: “This partnership represents a perfect alignment of complementary strengths. Together, we provide clients with the strategic climate risk assessment and practical energy solutions needed for ASRS compliance and long-term sustainability. Our combined approach helps organizations turn regulatory requirements into business advantages.

The partnership will offer end-to-end ASRS compliance services, including emissions measurement, climate risk assessment, scenario analysis, transition planning, and comprehensive reporting. Clients will benefit from Northmore Gordon’s proven methodologies for energy optimization, grant & certificate funding expertise, alongside Pangolin’s expertise in climate strategy and disclosure frameworks.

This collaboration comes at a critical time as Australian organizations prepare for the first ASRS reporting period beginning January 2025. Group 1 entities, including the country’s largest companies and energy users, must produce their first sustainability reports in 2026, with additional organizations phasing in over subsequent years.

Who we are

Northmore Gordon is a specialist energy consultancy helping industrial and commercial businesses decarbonize and reduce energy costs. With offices across Australia and Singapore, the firm provides energy audits, efficiency engineering, carbon strategy development, and environmental certificate services. Northmore Gordon has been highly successful in leverage grant and certificate funding for customers’ transition projects, and is committed to helping large energy users achieve meaningful emissions reductions while improving financial performance.

Pangolin Associates is an Australian-owned climate change and sustainability consulting firm. Pangolin helps organizations meet their climate change goals through comprehensive greenhouse gas assessments, carbon neutral certification, net zero strategic implementation, and compliance with government reporting schemes. As a certified B Corp and Climate Active organization, Pangolin leads by example in sustainability practices.

For more information, please contact:

• Hamish McGovern, Northmore Gordon – h.mcgovern@northmoregordon.com
• Iain Smale, Pangolin Associates – iain.smale@pangolin.com.au

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At Northmore Gordon, we continue to monitor the dynamic Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificate (VEEC) market.  Two weeks ago, the Government passed legislation to extend the VEU to 2045, and last Friday 16^th May, they announced the 2026 and 2027 targets. 

Latest Price Movements 

As of 19 May 2025, VEEC spot prices have declined to approximately $85.00 per certificate, marking a substantial correction from highs of over $110 in late 2024.  This represents a ~20% drop in recent months, underscoring a shift in market sentiment and fundamentals.  The announced targets resulted in a sudden drop from $91.00 to $85.00 where prices have stabilised for the moment. 

The latest VEEC price can be found on Northmore Gordon website.  Filter on VEECs. 

A Look Back: VEEC Price History 

VEECs were trading at around $30 back in 2020, steadily climbing to over $110 by late 2024. This increase was driven by: 

• Regulatory tightening that limited certificate creation. 

• Increased compliance demand from energy retailers. 

• Market uncertainty that spurred speculative buying. 

• Declining supply from lighting and market saturation in certain activities 

What’s Driving the May 2025 Price Drop? 

Several key developments have contributed to the recent decline in prices: 

• Regulatory Certainty:  
  On 16^th May 2025 Victorian Government has announced VEEC targets for 2026 (4.4 million) and 2027 (4.6 M), this is lower than the proposed revised interim VEEC targets for 2026 (5 M) and 2027 (6 M) and substantially lower than the 2025 target of 7.3 million. 

• Removal of Vintage Requirements: 
  Legislation removed the requirement for certificates prior to 31^st January to be used for surrender for the prior year’s obligation.  This provides more supply. 

• Extended Surrender Deadline: 
  The VEEC surrender deadline has been extended to 30 June 2025, giving liable entities more time to meet their obligations, reducing short-term pressure.  This may well happen again in 2026 

• Increased Supply: 
  Space heating and cooling, as well as commercial heatpump installation activities have steadily increasing creation rates.  

• Improved Supply Outlook: 
  With greater clarity and easing of speculative activity, supply has improved, leading to more stable pricing. 

What This Means for Business 

For those involved in energy efficiency projects or VEEC-generating activities, these market shifts present both challenges and opportunities. Staying informed and strategically timing your projects can help optimise returns and ensure compliance. 

At Northmore Gordon, we help clients navigate the certificate markets with confidence—providing strategic advice, regulatory insight, and market intelligence to maximise value from sustainability initiatives. 

Reach out to our team if you’d like a deeper conversation about how VEEC trends affect your energy strategy and consider hedging VEEC projects you have underway. 

For more information about Solar VEECs and LGCs contact: Madonna Ghajar

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“Frew Foods worked closely with Northmore Gordon on the biomass boiler project to measure and verify carbon savings. We successfully created 10,183 VEEC’s in Sep ‘21… Northmore Gordon showed they understood what we were trying to achieve… the project was delivered through COVID-19 which for our business was a challenge. The work done by Northmore Gordon to support my abattoir was professional and Alan was a pleasure to work with over the project. Thank You Sincerely.”
– Robert Frew, Owner & Managing Director at Frew Foods International Pty Ltd

The Client
Frew Foods International is a large wholesaler of quality lamb and sheep meat products to the major supermarkets and butchers across Australia.As a halal and tier 2 accredited processor, Frew Foods exports to over 100 countries across all major continents including Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Their modernised abattoir in Stawell, Victoria employs over 500 people and has the capacity to process over 6000 lambs and sheep a day.

Key Facts

• Equipment Upgraded – Installation of 3MW biomass boiler and 90,000 litre heat storage tank
• Annual Energy Savings – 21,160 GJ Gas
• Certificate Value – $800,000
• Program – Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU)
• Method – Project Based Activities (PBA)

The Project

The site’s Energy Conservation Measure (ECM) upgraded its boiler system to replace the natural gas fired boilers from the existing boiler room with a biomass boiler in the biomass shed. The biomass boiler is fueled with locally sourced sawdust. The replacement included the installation of a 3 MW thermal biomass boiler with associated pipework, fittings and additional gantry, connection to the existing hot water circuit, and isolation of the existing natural gas boilers.

Challenges
• M&V modelling challenges imposed by COVID restrictions
• Logistic issues with product fuel delivery due to COVID
• Drastic gas price variations

Outcomes
• More hot water capability with lower carbon emissions
• Less affected by natural gas price variations

Our Role
Northmore Gordon provided an end to end service to ensure the project complied with the Victorian Energy Upgrade Program to maximise the financial incentives. Northmore Gordon’s Certified Measurement & Verification Professionals (CMVPs) created the M&V plan, collected site data and supporting evidence, built the baseline and operating energy models to calculate the energy savings. Subsequently we wrote the M&V report, and then created and traded VEECs on the clients behalf.

For more information contact: c.morgan@northmoregordon.com

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About Bulla
Regal Cream Products Pty Ltd trading as Bulla Dairy Foods is an Australian owned and operated company, manufacturing chilled and frozen dairy products including cream, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese and ice cream.

Operations take place at five sites in Victoria – Forest Street in Colac, Connor Street in Colac, Mulgrave, Dandenong and Derrimut. A significant quantity of energy is used in the form of electricity, gas, hot water, steam, chilled water, and compressed air. Energy using equipment includes steam boilers, air compressors, vacuum pumps, pumps, cogeneration, chillers, wastewater treatment and various dairy foods production lines.

Project overview
This project is a demonstration of the strong business case for comprehensive but strategic submetering and monitoring of energy and water. Bulla recognises that good metering and monitoring underpins effective energy management and is essential if energy and water waste is to be minimised.

Bulla’s visibility of when, where and how energy and water is used throughout its sites has been limited to boundary billing meters and a small number of submeters. Furthermore, many of the sub-meters that do exist were not networked and/or meter data was not readily accessible/viewable by stakeholders. Consequently, Bulla has developed and implemented a pilot metering system at its Connor Street site in Colac, Victoria.

The project scope included:

• Map existing sub-metering capability and design a metering upgrade plan.
• Specify, source and install meters for all key utilities
  (electricity, gas, steam, co-generation, hot water, chilled water, and compressed air).
• Select and install a data collection and reporting software platform.
• Streamline routine environmental reporting.
• Provide a tool to ensure that energy and water consumption does not drift over time.
• Provide a tool to track improvements towards water and energy targets.
• In total, 35 existing meters were connected to the new energy management software platform and 27 new meters installed. The site is now able to monitor electricity, gas, water, and steam consumption, as well as electricity and steam generation, and waste production, by key plant areas.

This project was made possible with the assistance of funding from two grants; the Dairy Australia Data Technology Assessment Scheme (Co-funded by Dairy Australia) and Food Innovation Australia Limited) and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) Business Recovery Energy Efficiency Fund (BREEF).

The problem

• Bulla has been unable to evaluate the energy performance of plant services and key processes against industry and internal benchmarks, and unable to observe or react to abnormal energy consumption events.
• Existing processes for extracting and handling energy use and environmental data were manual and relied on spreadsheets and screenshots from the SCADA system.
• Metering can be expensive, especially steam meters.
• Gaps in capacity and in-house expertise.
• There are many energy data software packages on the market, with variations in capability, features, ease ofuse, initial costs, and ongoing costs.

Bulla sought external expertise to support the following project steps:
1. Establish a detailed picture of existing metering capability.
2. Design a master metering plan.
3. Evaluate a range of software platforms against Bulla’s needs.
4. Specify, procure, install, commission and validate meters.
5. Configure software and interface existing and new meters.
6. End-to-end validation of meter data.
7. Fine tune dashboards and reports.

Outsourcing of expertise
A key success factor was the use of energy management specialists Northmore Gordon to design the metering plan, provide guidance on meter technology options and installation requirements, develop criteria for software platform assessment, evaluate software products, and assist with selection of the best option. A specialist vendor was also used to install and commission meters and the software platform.

Use of a dedicated data handling platform Another key project decision was to utilise an advanced centralised and dedicated software platform for collecting, collating, displaying, and reporting energy and water data. The tendering selection process weighed ease-of-use, capacity for in-house customisation, and reporting and alarming functions.

Bulla chose the Schneider ‘Power Monitoring Expert’ platform, implemented by ‘Azzo’. The system can issue alerts for abnormal energy usage or energy performance of equipment and processes. It also has the capacity to hold and report other environmental data. The cloud based platform is very customisable and capable of dashboarding, sending alerts, aggregating data, shadow billing, baselining, identifying missing/corrupt data, reporting (daily, weekly, monthly), KPI tracking, and advanced data visualisation, such as Sankey diagrams and heatmaps.

Key outcomes and learnings

• Metering in and of itself does not directly produce savings – it is the application of the tools, data and operational insights that this project has realised, that will lead to decisions and actions that create savings.
• A metering system needs to be cost-effective, and over-metering avoided.
• The cost of purchasing and installing meters varies greatly depending on type and size. Electricity and water meters are lower cost than gas and steam.
• It is important to choose a meter data software platform that does not constrain growth.
• The cost of expanding an online software platform to other sites is relatively low.
• A modern energy data management system provides more than just numbers and trends. It also provides customisable reports, flags abnormal usage directly to relevant staff, provides insight into energy usage performance under different production conditions (e.g. short versus long production runs, and part load versus full load), aggregates data, performs shadow billing, identifies missing/corrupt data, and provides advanced data visualisation, such as Sankey diagrams
  and heatmaps.
• Different stakeholder groups have different information needs. Full value is obtained only if the system can be customised to provide insights in a format that suits a range of stakeholder groups; ranging from plant operators to the Board of Directors.
• This project is considered an important element of a robust and productive sustainability program for Bulla.
• Pipework modifications were needed in some areas to optimise the measuring data accuracy by installing meters at a proper location.
  

Next steps
1. Use the system to identify and realise saving opportunities, which in turn will help Bulla meet its
energy and greenhouse targets under the Australian Dairy Industry Sustainability Framework.
2. Expanding the software to other sites.
3. Progressively invest in more meters to cover all of Bulla’s sites, with a focus on energy intense processes and loads.

For more information contact: c.morgan@northmoregordon.com

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This Energy Intelligence Partner Alliance is built to help commercial and industrial businesses across Australia and the APAC region rapidly unlock smarter, and more cost-effective ways to measure energy use, cut costs, and meet rising sustainability expectations.  Granular metering and monitoring are the foundation of energy audits, feasibility studies, electrification, mandatory carbon reporting, demand response and much more.

What’s Driving the Need?

Energy and sustainability managers face increasing pressure to:
• Visualise and control energy usage across equipment, buildings, and operations
• Reduce energy waste and improve efficiency — often with limited resources
• Meet tightening compliance requirements, including new ASRS mandates
• Deliver reliable sustainability reporting with accurate, real-time data
• Scale solutions quickly across multiple sites or complex portfolios

How Our Alliance Helps

This partnership delivers an end-to-end energy intelligence solution that brings together:
• Wireless metering and monitoring technology for rapid, cost-effective deployment
• Granular, real-time energy data to support better decisions
• AI-powered analytics and customisable reporting
• Full integration with third-party data sources
• Expert system design, analysis, strategic and technical support
• Scalable solutions to manage multiple buildings, sites or regions with ease

Together, we’ll empower clients to take control of energy data and transform it into actionable strategies that drive measurable impact — reducing operational costs, lowering emissions, and enhancing sustainability performance.

This alliance is for more than just a tech upgrade — It’s a smarter way to operate. With Northmore Gordon’s industry insight and strategic energy expertise, and SEEITEK’s technology solutions and implementation excellence, we’re helping clients do even more with less — so they can lead the transition to smarter energy management.  

Learn more:
Contact: c.morgan@northmoregordon.com
www.seeitek.com.au | Contact: peter@seeitek.com.au

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If you’d like to listen to the full discussion, the video is linked here.

Smart Strategies to Stay Within Network Limits

James DiLiberto, CEO of AZZO, introduced three key strategies to manage energy demand effectively:

1. Implement Energy Management Systems (EMS): These systems enable real-time load control and the integration of onsite generation—such as solar PV and batteries—helping sites operate within existing electrical limits.
2. Use Smart Controls and Monitoring: By collecting and analysing granular energy data, facilities can optimise usage, reduce peak demand, and enhance overall energy efficiency.
3. Integrate Onsite Renewables: Harnessing solar and battery storage not only cuts grid dependence but also eases the strain on legacy infrastructure, potentially deferring the need for upgrades.

Craig Morgan on the Value of Energy Efficiency

Craig Morgan, Group Sales Director at Northmore Gordon, offered further insight into how energy efficiency plays a vital role in this equation.

“When you reduce demand through energy efficiency, you’re not just lowering your bills,” said Morgan. “You’re freeing up capacity on your existing infrastructure, which can delay or eliminate the need for upgrades that often run into the hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of dollars.”

He shared examples of how Northmore Gordon has worked with industrial clients to conduct detailed energy assessments, helping them remain within the capacity of their existing transformers and feeders—thereby avoiding expensive and time-consuming grid upgrades.

A Strategic Imperative for Industry

With electrical network constraints increasingly common—particularly in older industrial estates and rapidly developing areas—these approaches are becoming critical for cost-effective growth. As Morgan noted, “In today’s energy environment, smarter use of energy is just as important as clean energy.”

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